The Reveal(ation)
by LadyDi
Summary: All he was aware of were those eyes as they neared his with the speed of the moon going across the sky. His heart couldn't beat any faster than it could in this second and yet the feeling she invoked by merely going as slowly as she was made him want to bottle it and take it into himself anytime he wished to experience this expectation.
1. Laughter

It had been on his mind for so many days and months that he had lost track of when the notion first came to mind.

Who was Ladybug?

It had plagued him, hounded him, nagged at him so much that the need to know was only staved off by the time she had told him that they should never know who the other was. He tried to respect her wishes, tried not to open that closet door in order to know who she was when the bright flash signaled her transformation back to her alter ego.

How he fought with himself not to open that door...

Not knowing filled his mind as much as the fun of being Chat Noir filled his veins with excitement and power. It was the biggest, unsolved mystery that was so tantalizing. His emotions spurred on the need that he ran through his head whenever there was a spare moment during class lectures, throughout photo shoots, and any time he was alone in his room. Videos of her, photos from the Ladyblog kept him sane, but it never helped keep the question out of his head.

The urge that squeezed his chest so many times, during so many moments of sending his love to her alone in his room made breathing almost unbearable. His own emotions tried to kill him as best they could by being unable to draw a simple breath and he almost wanted to let them sometimes.

Such feelings and issues were unrelenting and only when he was away from his room and his solitude could he cope. Only when he was next to his Lady could he give them something of a salve for the time being.

Who was she? How he wanted to know so badly! How his feelings screamed at him in anger, begging at him to seek her out after freeing another victim of Butterfly and plead with her to reconsider her previous words.

He was a fool to his own emotions and as strong as his love and admiration for her was, so was his hesitation.

What if she didn't feel the same way? She had pushed him away so many times, made light of his flirtatious words, and redirected him to more crucial moments...usually battle-related. Some of those times weren't the proper moment to speak of his feelings and he gave her those times when they were fighting, but after this long, he thought he could wear her down just a little.

She gave no notion of being attached more than the obvious superhero partner that was needed. She was his half and he was hers; they needed to work together and be a team. They did that well, but so many times he had wished it could lead to more.

" _I_ _don't_ _care_ _who_ _is_ _under_ _that_ _mask._ _I_ _love_ _that_ _girl..._ _"_

Everything he saw from her was perfect. He didn't even see her physical beauty for all of the other highly attractive qualities she had as part of her personality. Everything about her was something to worship and he would gladly do so if she ever gave him a chance...any slight inclination that he was allowed to openly do so. He would send her bouquets of roses every day in red, the color of love and passion, to match his feelings for her.

The question of who she was often led hand in hand with when he found out. What would he do? What would he feel? What would he say? What would she say? Would she run away? Would she embrace it? Would she admit it? Would she ask to know his identity back? Where would they be when it happened? Would anyone else find out, too?

He often daydreamed at how he would find out in order to placate his mind from going crazy at needing to know. So many scenarios were plausible given the right circumstances. The time could run out on her miraculous before she could get away and expose her. She could be injured and trapped, causing him to be with her too long and see her change back because she couldn't get away. She could finally come clean and tell him herself. He would find her in mid-transformation in either mode. She would give herself away with a gesture or a word. He would end up following her, unable to take it anymore, and watch her transform without letting her know.

So many possibilities.

He often wondered at the probability of them all, finding most of them more doable than the others. He highly doubted that she'd come up to him and reveal herself; though it was the best possibility out of all of them. After all this time...why not?

So...how did he finally find out?

That laugh.

There had been two times when he had heard Ladybug truly laugh in a kind of laugh where one really enjoys the ability and gets lost in it. One time he had made a pun, though he figured she was being nice, and the other was just after a battle, when he slipped on water that had been spilled and skidded into a wall...pretty much knocking himself silly. His pride was hurt, but his ears soaked up that beautiful noise and he instantly forgave her at watching her laugh herself until she was clutching her stomach and her eyes filled with tears.

He supposed, when he thought back again and again after stumbling upon it, she would never have laughed like that in school...or around him. She had always been so nervous, so different from that first day they met. She was nice, polite, and stuttered so much until she relaxed and was much calmer. She was often late, got sent to the principal's office for doing something wrong in class, or tried too hard and would occasionally mess up from it. She never acted like Ladybug, but Ladybug had also called herself bad luck when they first met.

He would never forget the moment when his ears perked up to it and he instantly looked around, heart in his throat. He still thought to the day, shaking his head at it all.

She had been walking down the stairs of their school, Alya at her side. They were heading out for lunch, such a normal activity, Nino next to him for the walk out. He bid the trio farewell at the bottom of the stairs for the short hour and was heading to his car. The two had dissolved into their own little conversation amidst all of the other students shuffling around them.

He was about ready to get into the car when the heavenly noise hit him like a ton of bricks and he shoved away from the door, frantically looking around.

She was about ready to fall over, barely able to support herself on her knees as she laughed. Alya was joining in as heartily, pointing to something on her phone that he couldn't see. He stared and watched her enjoy whatever it was Alya had shown her, curious and too taken aback as he watched the same noise escape her as it had his partner.

It was impossible to forget such a noise. The most beautiful thing he had heard was escaping his first female friend, who was also his most trusted partner. It seemed to fit, but the revelation turned him to stone, one hand on the car door, the other hanging uselessly at his side. He stood there, two dead feet on the ground, Natalie's words forgotten as he tuned into only one thing, his face even.

How he got next to her, he didn't even remember...still couldn't remember. He was at her side and she was reduced to a stuttering mess once she found him next to her. He met her eyes, seeing the hair frame her face in the exact same way...staring at her as if seeing her for the first time.

" _What was so funny?"_

" _Ah...A – Alya...had a video of...Ch – Chat Noir...sliding into a wall..."_

" _It's HILARIOUS! I know I shouldn't laugh at it because it looked painful...but...pfft!"_

" _Stop Alya! D – don't laugh...at...haha...Ch – Chat's...pffttt...misfortune!"_

She broke down into another fit, tears coming to her eyes as she must be personally remembering being there, using the video as an excuse. He watched it in silence, the same reaction as the first one he witnessed that day. The commentary on Alya's phone was drowned out by her heartfelt exuberance, though she tried to cap it off as if she were offending Chat that happened to be standing in front of her.

He had never felt more grateful to her for such laughter in his life.

It was a strange thing to feel every single emotion and yet nothing all at once. All of the situations and emotions he had been going through for what felt like forever finally connected with a face, but the shock of finally finding out in such a mundane way, also a possibility he had considered, hit him hard.

He waited until she collected herself and bid her a good lunch, striding away without much more word...unable to think of anything else to say. His mind shut down after so many hours of it running nonstop. He was unable to think of what to feel first, of what to do, what to say.

Lunch was pretty much forgotten and he had almost forgotten how to eat as he sat at that big, empty table with a gourmet meal in front of him. More than once, he pulled himself from his stupor and tried to remember to bring the spoon to his mouth, but it would always become forgotten seconds later.

That was how he found out. It made sense. She never laughed that way in front of him. She had always been so shy to make such an outburst. The second she did, every twitch, tilt of her lips, squeeze at the corners of her eyes, the way she wiped at the tears, the hands that gripped her knees for support, were all Ladybug. The reaction was the same, but more than that, the laughter was it.

He would never forget it. He had memorized the sound and hoped to hear more of it. He didn't think he'd ever be granted a chance in such a way.

The biggest issue, more than anything he had ever faced before in his teenage life was: what did he do with this knowledge?!

The situation reversed itself on its head and stared back at him. All of the options he had thought she might do were now something he had to consider.

Did he tell her? Did he let her find out as he just did? Did he reveal himself to her after a battle? Did he follow her and talk to her in private? Did he write her something? Should he tell her? Dare he tell her?

Whenever he weighed saying anything, however he did it, versus keeping quiet, his feelings venomously denied his silence. They threatened to take him over, hold his heart prisoner, until he give in and do what they had demanded for so long. The chance was here and logic, naked emotion, told him to do what he had the chance to.

He was so preoccupied with what he should do that Nino finally pulled him aside and demanded he explain his aloof behavior to their group and in class. He hedged around the truth, redirecting the queries about her. He grilled Nino for information, asking questions that went beyond the realm of basic friendship. He stopped when Nino looked overly suspicious and started in on questions about his feelings for Marinette.

It was even a bigger shock to find out that Nino had been privy to a huge secret Alya had threatened him to keep quiet on, one concerning the feelings of their friend. Toward him. For quite some time now.

" _Just don't get me in trouble with Alya, man! She's really fierce when you push her buttons, especially when it comes to Marinette. I've been quiet up till now, but if you like her, go get her. She won't turn you down."_

He didn't know if he floated home on cloud nine or total shock. Days after that were spent in his room, homework forgotten, and calls from his friends ignored. He went through photo shoots, fencing, and Chinese, hardly paying attention. He was unable to pull himself from things enough so claimed anemia to explain his attitude in order to be sent home to the privacy and safety of his room.

Any time he had to sit in front of her in class, his head was about ready to burst with all of the things that he wanted to say, but was still stuck on. Nothing could get out first, mostly because of the inopportune timing for it. His heart was so full of her, knowing she was so close, but still so unreachable.

What did he say? What did he do? Did he even want to say anything at all? A part of him feared mentioning his secret and rocking whatever friendship they had. Should he be blunt? Should he be romantic and pull her to the side? The day Dark Cupid ruined his only moment kept running through his head, Nino's words following right after his constant hesitation.

When he thought of testing her to gauge her reaction, she never acted like Ladybug around Chat Noir. She was a bumbling mess and while it was cute, it despaired him a little. He feared she wasn't ready since she acted like she always had in front of him. Even if her feelings were a reason for it, he didn't want her to feel a shred of negativity if she found out it was him. He didn't think he could handle it.

Sorrow invaded him for the first time at the thought of her turning him down...of knowing he was her partner. He didn't want to think of such things, but it had been patient until now. It kept his lips sealed shut when he almost felt ready to say something. She had never reciprocated anything to Chat Noir...because she felt something for Adrien? He wanted to hope that, pray that was merely the case, but only she could set that issue straight.

More days passed as he warred with himself, finally feeling like things had started to smooth themselves out little by little. The more he sat in front of her, watching to her turn in homework, get in trouble for being late, or chat with Alya about whatever, the less he felt like confessing who he was. His feelings refused to be ignored, but the need to show her his other identity had started to become less of the issue.

He was okay with knowing her, of this different aspect of her that he fell in love with. It seemed normal now, to know that she had been given this special gift as he had been. It something that was just theirs; a secret that only they could share...even if they were known throughout the city.

When he was finally called into action again, meeting her in the spots wasn't weird. It wasn't awkward, and it wasn't problematic. He smiled at her as much as he always did, but when she pushed him away, one thing always ran through his mind.

'Would you act like this if you knew who I really was?'

Would she playfully shove his nose to get his face away from hers, that smile on her face as she did so, if she knew the real color of his eyes? If she could see his designer clothes and let him get in one full kiss to the back of her hand? Would she turn into a stuttering mess in the suit? Would she fly away with her yo-yo? Would he follow her if she did?

He entertained the ideas as much as he did trying to get her to react to his advances. They were a little less, knowing that she harbored real feelings for the real him inside. It made his heart flutter a little when he stood next to her, feeling her stand tall and strong against adversity with him at her side. She spoke normally to him and he wanted to shout out to her so many things, but he never did.

They parted ways after battle and he returned home as if knowing who her identity was a trivial matter. As if such normalcy had carved itself so far into his brain that he didn't flinch when he looked at her. He never gave away that he was aware, didn't act much differently.

Seeing her as Marinette after seeing her as Ladybug was almost surreal and it was hard to pick out the right emotion that he felt all day. Class went on as normal, the usual things making it all seem like a dream. But, the information was real, that laugh was real...even if he hadn't heard it since that fateful moment.

After so much time had gone by, he felt he had missed his chance to say anything, to do anything. He knew and he was more than okay with everything that had transpired. Knowing her feelings were there and were genuine, by the way she acted in front of him, almost seemed more than enough. It was a salve to his heart to know she pined for him like he pined for her. It was a strange comfort to know she may love him as much as he loved her and was merely afraid to show it due to simple human hesitation.

He said goodbye to her as usual, heading for the car and watched her walk across the street for her home. A place he had been to as both sides of himself. As both sides of herself.

Perhaps he would entertain the idea of discussing his feelings as Adrien with her. He needn't speak of anything concerning Chat Noir. A description of her as Ladybug was a description of her as Marinette. She was amazing either way and he loved her for the qualities he had seen that first afternoon, during that first fight with her. No one would, could, ever top her.

He smiled and got in the car. Perhaps he would think of the right words to say to describe his heart instead. Chat Noir could hide in the shadows, as he was good at doing, for a little longer. Perhaps if the day ever came down to it, he would come clean and see what she did. But for now, being by her side was enough.


	2. A kiss

Heaven was described as so many things by so many people. It was never one set thing and no one was going to agree on what it actually was.

After this moment, she was going to argue heavily that it was one's crush admitting he liked you back.

" _I'll_ _pick_ _you_ _up_ _this_ _afternoon?_ _"_

She didn't even remember what she had agreed to, too flustered and happy and shocked that Adrien Agreste was confessing his feelings before she ever got a chance. She squealed the second she hoped he was out of hearing distance and prayed that every dog in the neighborhood didn't start barking.

The amount of dancing and arm waving to dispel the largest adrenaline rush she'd ever had since being almost two hours late for school positively exhausted her...but in a good way. She collapsed onto a heap of the empty classroom, a part of her rational brain hoping that no one came in and found her panting for air for what looked like no reason. She didn't think she'd live long enough to have her very first date with Adrien.

That thought brought her to her feet, dancing all over again.

Only when Tikki humorously reminded her that she had homework to do before her date showed up, and it was a good idea to get it done so she could have her fun without worry, did she collect herself and skip down the steps. No...float down. Did she remember her feet in the classroom? Did she even have her things? They felt attached to her shoulder, the bag at her side, but she wasn't registering anything.

Only one thing mattered and while she didn't want anything standing in its way, she also didn't have the ability to concentrate where necessary right now.

She almost crushed her mother in the hug she gave right after she waltzed into the bakery. Her mother took it in stride, congratulating her on the good news and also suggested she get all her work done so she could be out and not need to come home as early for it.

Tikki was a god for more than her powers or patience, she was also helpful in ways that were so direly needed when the fits of giggles hit her and derailed her attention. Her kwami helped keep her on track, never turning aggravated at having to say the same thing however many numerous times it was required. She honestly doubted she retained anything, but she could always worry about that later.

Only when the last problem was solved and her books shuffled to the side did she tear her closet apart, wondering just what to wear. She tried on practically every outfit and stared at herself in the mirror, critiquing everything and hating it all. Everything she had hand-made didn't suffice to be next to Gabriel-wear. She wanted to look as nice as he always did.

This had to be perfect! An afternoon to commemorate such an occasion; their spending time together just by themselves for a few hours! Sure Adrien had hung out at her place a few times and they had gone on a few adventures concerning her family or school stuff, but this was different! This was something she had never bridged the gap on; the ocean that were her emotions would finally get the attention they deserved!

Tikki's reassurance was called into play for the next ten minutes in order to find something that didn't end up in a fit of despair at ruining the whole evening with something in inappropriate or tacky. Her mother also liked the outfit, saying she looked very nice and it was a good choice. It took a few of those kind words to sink into her brain. They both knew just what to say to get her hopes up, especially when they mentioned how much he'd like it as well.

The hardest part was the wait. She had maybe thirty minutes before he said he would show up, though she didn't know how she even remembered the time. Ah, yes...Tikki was listening in. Lovely, lovely Tikki. She snagged the rest of the details, begging for anything and everything her kwami was listening in on, not caring in the slightest she had done so. Her kwami would never do so in a spiteful manner and she had long ago grown accustomed to it.

All she could remember was the tingle of her arm when he kissed her hand.

She squealed again at the memory, hands slapping against her cheeks as she scooted across the room randomly. That one motion caused her to forget everything else existed in the world outside of the warm touch of his fingers encompassing her palm...the softness of his lips against her skin.

Hands clamped over her mouth as she screamed again, legs kicking and threatening to capsize the chair.

She abruptly hopped from the chair, hand out in the same pose as when he grabbed it. Teeth bit her lip, forearm already tingling, as she pictured his face and the bow he gave as he took her hand.

Her other hand twitched, but not in the same way.

A reaction, one she had done more times than she had fingers and toes, that was meant to accompany such a kiss wanted to be used right after. Her index finger gathered strength and flexed, her forearm already twitching to move forward and push those lips away. It was a move that spoke of slight disapproval to one that she had always given it to. To one that wasn't Adrien.

Her memory replayed the one thing she would never forget. The way his fingers lightly held hers in the exact same pose. The bow he made and the angle of his head that always made the hair fall in front of his eyes. The way his lips touched the barest of degrees, which had never been felt due to the suit always covering her hands, as if testing his bad luck...hoping to change it that time. Trying to change it every time.

She was stone in the same pose she had wanted to recreate, that simple act throwing every elated emotion out the window to replace it with a thought that had her eyes flying open and Tikki's concern in her ears. Her mouth dropped open in a silent scream of confusion and knowledge all at once.

No...how?!

She had never attempted to connect any pieces to him, never thought of him much after interacting with him. She never did so as a spiteful move; she just had too many things to do in her home after getting back to the free time. She also listened to Tikki's words and took them very seriously.

" _You_ _can't_ _tell_ _anyone_ _about_ _me,_ _or_ _your_ _powers._ _"_

She had never thought about what she would feel or do should such an occurrence ever happen. She never thought it would; perhaps too naive to the possibility in the first place. Through so many close calls and almost getting caught by mere passerbys, let alone him. To so many times she almost revealed who she was right in his presence because she had used her power and couldn't yet get away.

How did she manage to figure this out?! She didn't even hear half of the words he said once he said he wanted to talk to her! Blue eyes gravitated to her hand, to the spot his lips had kissed. Had kissed more times than she remembered. So many of those times were at the most ill-timed moments and she often pushed him away because he choose the wrong second to try his bad luck.

She sank to her floor, eyes still on the back of her hand, ears ringing and ignoring Tikki's insistent questions. Somewhere out of the corner of her eye, the tiny god floated around her.

She didn't know what to feel, what to do. She didn't think the day would come; didn't think that she had to worry about it. Her heart raced through every possible emotion, bypassing her head at thinking of any instance where she might find out who her trusted partner was...whether accidental or not.

Of all the simple or complex ways she could have found out, a motion they both took for granted was it.

It was hidden well and had her body not wanted to react out of the past, she would have continued to be blissfully unaware. But, she had jumped the fence and could never go back over it. It was impossible to not know who he was. Not because she could see similarities in their personalities or looks, but because of that action.

So many different, conflicting things ran through her. Every emotion on the rainbow of their existence went through her and she didn't know which one to grasp and clawed at them all at once. She wanted to be upset that she found out, happy she knew, worried he didn't really love her, wondered if he confessed because he knew, and scared she couldn't live up to her other half. Hands clutched at her hair, pulling as her head threatened to split apart. Tears lined her eyes, though she didn't let them fall for some unknown reason. This was not a reason to cry about, but it was still hard to breathe. It was something that just never was, even though it had never been to him. The normalcy of it was throwing her around without anything to grasp hold of.

Any reaction in the list that she was compiling was valid and explainable. She could pick any of them and act them out when she met him...if she met him. She didn't think she could see him without knowing, without giving herself away. There was no way she could hide this from him.

A new set of worries ran through her. What if he hadn't intended on letting her know? What if it was just a slip-up? He did it so much in the suit that it was probably second nature to him, just as it was for her to tease him back. Did she say anything? Should she say anything? Did they need to talk about this? Should they talk about this?

What if he meant to do that? It was a cliche, fairly simple move, but it was also something she knew well. It was a very clever puzzle piece he had given her. Was he waiting on her to say something? Why would he bother to reveal himself to her unless...

Hands flew to her mouth as a gasp left her, Tikki flying in front of her face for answers. She stared at her kwami, not seeing the shock patch of red inches away. Her eyes could have popped out of her head. A bout of paranoia and fear so thick it crawled up her spine and made her shiver.

Did he know?!

How did he find out?! Did he find out? Why would he let anything slip otherwise? She frantically tried to think about when she gave herself away, always having been so careful not to do so. She didn't want anyone to know for so many reasons, most of them silly, but some important. She didn't want to endanger anyone with that knowledge. He was the only one who she could let know because he was in the same boat she was. It could be dangerous for him if anyone but her knew.

She wanted to hyperventilate, but it felt stupid to do so. If her partner, one whom she trusted with her life, knew who she was and was telling her who he was, there should be no reason to fear. She had known him for a while, even if she didn't really know him. The first day they met, he could have attacked her in her inability to properly sling a simple yo-yo, but he only encouraged her and provided unwavering support. Their actions together since that day told her everything she needed to know. His face and name were never an issue.

She took a few deep breaths and shot to her feet, pacing the room like a caged tiger. Her mind raced, all of the scenarios that she never thought of going through her head. She pondered the outcomes and how she should feel, still unsure as to which emotion to pick. After so many laps around the room, she went to the window and threw it open, slumping over it with a sigh.

What did she do now? Now that everything was cleared and all aired out, there was no more mystery and it felt oddly normal. There were no fireworks, no big harangue. It simply was. It seemed boring, like there should have been something flashier like when she transformed. It was perhaps that ordinary feeling that helped bring her down from the torrent of herself and took her out of her head as she smelled the outside air.

She propped her head up, lips pursing. Tikki floated around her, still asking for her okay and putting her tiny hands on her cheeks.

She admitted everything that took place within a few moments time, feeling like the world had passed her by while her emotions exploded and compiled themselves. Tikki tried to be encouraging and comforting, admitting that while it might be dangerous to know who he was for the sake of his family, she had to trust her partner knew what he was doing if he meant to do so at all. If not, she had to try and pick up the pieces and act like she was still highly unaware.

How was she supposed to do that?!

Thinking of her date approaching in such a short amount of time put her through two emotional scenarios. She was either going to roll her eyes when he showed up and acted all gallant, if he did so, because she figured he was putting on more of a show than he need to. Or she was going to become a blushing mess that the one she had liked for so long was so seriously in love with her as he went on about in costume. There seemed to be no middle ground and if she acted like she did around Chat Noir, he might grow suspicious and there was no way to defend her sudden change in demeanor. She had never acted normal around him since the moment they met in school and she yelled at him. She had gone from cold shoulder to horribly large crush all in the span of a few days.

Palms pressed into her eyes with a groan. She would be terrible to stand him up if he didn't mean to reveal himself to her. She had been looking forward to such a time since he handed her his umbrella!Now that it was here and she was having second thoughts for totally unnecessary reasons.

She should head downstairs. She had five minutes till he arrived and she wouldn't be able to face him in the hallways the next day if she didn't go down. She could do this! Tikki had faith in her; she had to have some in herself, too! She had to believe her protector's words about it being okay...somehow, some way.

Standing outside the side door, leaning against the wall with a heavy head full of uncertainty and what-to-do's almost had her missing her own name from his beautiful voice. She jumped when he was practically next to her, Chat's smile on his face. She blinked and dumbly waved a hand at his entrance, too shell-shocked still to be able to do whatever it was she should be. She didn't know if he was aware of the face he was making, wondering if it was on purpose or not. Her head wouldn't stop going, but thinking was like trudging through a bog with him standing in front of her.

He was here, in front of her, looking dashingly handsome and slightly shy. She could see his emotions for her in his eyes, in his smile. Seeing his regular eyes threw her from her head just enough to face him and smile back a greeting.

She turned to stone when he took the fingers that still hovered in the air, his grip the same as it always had.

She pushed his nose away before his mouth could contact with her hand, doing it on purpose...giving in to the return motion.

Whether he had meant to do the action just now, back then, and expose himself or not, she couldn't lie and pretend she didn't know. She was going to be honest with him, as he had intentionally or unintentionally been. He had put it out there, whether he wanted to or not. She knew and she couldn't hide the truth. She wasn't going to ever be able to with him...never with him. She trusted him, knew him in ways others didn't, and didn't want anything to test that bond now.

She didn't know what he'd act or say when he found out she knew, didn't have time to consider that part of this whole puzzle. She knew she should have taken more time to do so, but the timing of his kiss was so perfect and she gave in to the need to let him know. Something inside her took hold and told her to do it.

She slowly pulled her free hand back, looking up under her bangs with serious, slightly fearful eyes. Her chest squeezed her a little, heart in her throat. She watched him rub his nose in the same manner as he always did, confused eyes and a raised brow meeting her.

She stared with one corner of her mouth somewhat scrunched up in something resembling a smile, or cringe, letting full recognition show through for him to see. To let him to take as he wished and do with as he wanted.

He stood there, hand frozen where it rose, confusion turning to wide eyes for the briefest of moments. It soon melted to a soft smile, his hand reaching out again. He took the same hand, slowly giving his characteristic bow that she was well acquainted with. He brought her hand to his lips, managing contact this time.

"My Lady..."


	3. Time

The passage of time was mere collection of numbers on a clock. Moments shift and either expand or contract going by each individual's recognition of a totally intangible item created by man.

They stood there, perhaps forever, in that afternoon. Eyes locked and unable to blink as everything went through them...through their eyes. Words, emotions, bonds.

She became nervous when he never said anything after those two special words he had always given to her. She worried that she had done something incorrect. She was unsure about how to act around him after all this time of being so natural. She wanted it to be normal as it had always been, but things were changing, twisting themselves from what they were. The curtain was dropped, the veil gone. She watched his face relax and become Chat...be who he was all the time around her. His shyness fell away, his courage coming forth a little more.

Her hand remained lost in his, lacking any feeling as she tried to get the ability to think and feel back in their correct order. She tried to swallow, to show movement, but found her mouth dry as a desert and she worried she couldn't do this.

He stared back at her, taking in everything she was giving and loving all of it. He felt fine just standing there, the truth out in the air between their bodies. He was slightly fearful when she closed off just a little, when her eyes showed the same timid feelings he was also possessed with.

He had never considered the part where they both know. It was more than enough for him to be aware of who she was and enjoy his time with her. He thought that her simply knowing his feelings, finally being able to act on something after all this time, was enough. He was content with it all, not worried about letting her know he knew.

The act he did, the reaction she gave him back, spoke more than anything they could actually say and the look in her eyes to what he just did, to what he had done earlier, said that she had found out to the most random thing, too.

She couldn't say anything, feared letting a pin drop around the chaos that encircled them. Cars honked and went by, pigeons cooed somewhere on lampposts above, people shuffled around them on their space on the sidewalk. No one bumped into them, no one said anything to them. They were just assumed to be a couple of shy teenagers meeting up.

The explosion of the star that existed in between their bodies had engulfed her and ran away with her emotions. It stole the ability to breathe and she stood there until her lungs started to hurt, but still she stood there. Only when she was forced to blink, to relieve her eyes of their poor duty for a fraction of a second, did it seem like everything was suddenly swept away and replaced daily life back to them. The noise came to her ears, the smells into her nose as she resumed breathing again.

His mouth hedged open, the right words lost. He was still running through every possible scenario as he had for so long, trying to find the best words to give to her. She was unsure as she had been that first day they ever met, but it mingled with the emotions she had for him and he wanted to believe this was a good thing. That things were okay.

What did he say? Did he even need to broach the subject? She had been the first to do so and was standing there not quite in expectation, but definitely unable to say anything about it first. He had put everything past him, but worried at what she did or said when she found out during that short time since they parted. He hoped she was okay since she had much less time to deal with knowing than he did. He felt much more experienced in the whole thing, but she was always much stronger than she ever let on. He knew this; had seen it so many times as both sides of her.

It was on the tip of her tongue to say that they should get going. They were going to be late and definitely miss half of the buses if they didn't get going. She didn't want her first date with him to be remembered as such. She didn't want her next meeting with him during danger to be reduced to this. She already hated knowing it all, but the correct words were always wiped away as not good enough right after they were formed. She wanted to say everything that was in her head, but it felt too stupid to do so. She didn't want to have to put such effort, knowing that she never needed it with him. She had never needed to explain herself for his sake; he saw what he needed from her, just like she did with him, and the rest was unnecessary.

His fingers finally squeezed hers, trying to give a little comfort and strength this one time. He felt like he could a last be of service to her when she was unsure and still didn't say anything. He pasted on a smile and edged closer, close enough to put his free hand on her shoulder. She didn't flinch, didn't shy away, didn't look away. She stared at him with the same expression, though her eyes softened a little and she didn't look so doubtful.

The touch was a great comfort to the things going through her, what she didn't want to deal with. It straightened out some of the chaos enough for her to visibly react. She managed a smile, lips tilting as if the okay might not be there. Her smile grew a little when the action also caused him to do so.

The torrent slowly edged away, the clouds cleared and some of the sun peeked through. They slowly came from the dark worries of their own minds, being driven on by the other to clear the hesitation from their minds. It was all okay; it had always been okay. The whole thing was stupid to worry about, but human emotions would always be complex and unexplainable. It was why they were drawn to each other in the first place.

"It seems silly...doesn't it?" She blurted out, face heating a little. She pasted on a smile, trying to lighten the mood she feared she had jostled.

He chuckled a little, grateful for her words. He finally looked away from her, taking in the scenery they had escaped. "It always has been, I guess." His eyes returned to hers, humorous at his past conundrum. "I spent a long time stuck in the same situation, trying to figure out what to do or say. In the end, you gave yourself away and I realized that the whole trouble was pointless to worry about from the beginning. Especially as I got used to the whole idea."

Her heart went out to him, concerned that he was so involved with such a problem for so long. Her mouth opened with consoling words, fingers gripping his hand on their own before she knew what she had done. She had spent a very short amount of time going through every emotion and while she didn't feel properly adjusted to it all, there was never a need to do so in the first place. They were too powerful for worry.

She hugged him before she thought about needing to do so. It felt right, the urge to give him something to soothe what had gone through his mind for so long. His words spoke of an underlying level that she would never know, but wanted to take from him. He was a great person and she didn't want him to suffer more than she had seen already.

He was stunned for only a second at the warmth she pressed against him. His arms instantly went around her when he identified what she was doing and kept her against him. The world blew away as he felt her emotions in that embrace, squeezing her as tightly as she was him.

He never touched her like this without her consent. The only few times he had ever done so was because he was so emotionally distraught and needed to know she was okay for his own greedy feelings. She had never pulled away from him, never took away what he desperately needed in those moments. She gave herself in the only way she could, lending comfort yet again.

Her chin rested on his shoulder, realizing how good he smelled now that she was this close. She felt the soft thud of his heart against hers, letting the hidden strength that seeped from her encompass both of them. She wanted, needed, him to be okay. She would never forgive herself if she had been part of his distress. She knew how busy he was and his life at home. She wondered if perhaps she could be the one, really good part in his life.

She suddenly wanted to try.

He finally pulled away, feeling bashful at the need for comfort when he should be the one to do so for her. She smiled back at him, a small bout of laughter bubbling up between the two of them. He memorized the flecks of blue in her eyes as they darted across his face. He idly wondered if she was trying to picture him with his mask on, or if she was merely admiring him this close. He didn't care if it was either one, he would let her stay like that all day if she would only be this near.

His lips moved before his head considered the ramifications of his actions. She was so close and she stole his ability to think. He could only feel, every nerve highly aware of her arms around him, of her shoes touching his. They had almost kissed one time, but this time was more natural than that first attempt had ever been.

Her eyes flew open when his lips contacted with her cheek. She turned to stone, every skin cell tuning in to the soft breath on her face, to the warmth of his lips. Her face heated like the sun as he remained there for heartbeats before finally pulling away. She stared at him as if he had done something brazen in public, not able to feel her legs.

His eyes darted to hers and away, wondering if he had done too much too soon. He wanted to give in just a little, to appease all the trouble he had gone through for so long. He had never asked her okay and he shuffled from the embrace just a little as if she disapproved.

She mentally snapped to as his arms pulled from hers. Her hand moved on its own, lightly grasping his jaw and gently turning his head. She ignored the shocked, sideways glance he gave, the expectation in his eyes when her lips moved to copy him. She mimicked his movements, pulling away and giggling when she had marked him with more than just a touch. Tikki subtly handed her a tissue from her purse as she fumbled with the package and she wiped the lipstick off his face.

His heart was going to explode with as fast as it was beating in his chest. The simple movements of the cloth going over his face were felt at every press and wipe. His cheeks were hot and he wondered if he was going to turn back to normal. He had never expected her to return the gesture. He had always tried to give one kiss to her hand, never accomplishing the goal for her personality that playfully denied him. The few hugs he stole were enough.

He wished his tongue would work so he could tell her to leave the print there for the rest of the day.

She put the tissue back, being careful not to poke Tikki, and studied her work. "I think I got it all." Her lips twitched, teeth showing in her mirth. "I'll have to be much more careful next time."

He met her eyes, his ears ringing with the last two words. Hope and expectation stole his patience and threw it away. He tried to see into the future to find out when that next time would be. He wanted to be ready so he could take that little side gift home with him. To take a picture of it on his phone to admire properly since a side glance in the mirror would never be enough.

He stepped away and bowed again, feeling much better than he could ever recall. He took her hand and kissed it again, hearing a giggle that was music to his ears. He stepped back and looked at her, really looked at her. He took in everything, accepting it all, finding her to the very center of her blue eyes and black hair. She met his gaze without hesitation, doing the same.

"We'll be late." She broke in, not shifting from her spot, still not looking away.

His leg muscles twitched to move him at her suggestion, but his heart kept them firmly planted where they were. The world could end and he would mostly be okay with that, so long as this precious moment between them continued forever.

He knew though that it would. They had found out in the most boring, hidden way that they had probably never meant to give to the other. It had simply happened as a reaction to everyday stimuli, but they pushed each other because of that normalcy. They were also their own catalysts, twisting things based on their emotions for each other.

He finally gave her back her hand for the resting place on her shoulders. He lightly tugged her along and she went willingly to wherever he had planned out that she might not remember. "I'm okay with being late." He commented, the world not really there as they passed through it.

She smirked and eyed him, finding his eyes on hers, his smile matching hers. She picked up on his playful nature, almost feeling the stretch of her suit and the light prick of his claws on the edge of her shoulder. "Well, so long as you're the one paying I suppose that's okay."

He wanted to circle grab her hands and twirl in a circle with her. He wanted to laugh. He wanted to jump the rooftops in his exuberance. This was nice. This was life. Living never felt so good.

He wondered how they would ever approach this point if such simple actions were never picked up...if they had never known each other so well that mere gestures and actions went ignored. He considered the other side he would never know again, feeling sorry for his past self at being ignorant of such bliss. He pitied who he used to be before he knew her in yet another outfit. He wished he could go back in time and give that helpless, love-struck fool a bit of comfort and reassure that it would be okay.

He didn't even feel the ground under his feet as they headed to the theater he had looked into. They could have gone out for simple ice cream and it would have been the best day ever. He mentally put that somewhere on his list later. Dabbing it on her nose and seeing what she would do, how she would get him back, seemed worth changing his plans and missing the movie he figured she might like.

She stole glances at him throughout the next few hours, unable to keep herself from doing so...yet knowing she was allowed to do so. The screen's lighting played across his eyes and helped her find his eyes on her whenever she snuck peeks at him. They always smiled and looked back to the movie, the same thought possibly going through their head.

'How did we get here? It doesn't matter, I guess. I'm happy with you...'

He was never going to look at ice cream the same way. He didn't care if he spilled his on the ground as she chased him around in retribution for the earlier plan he so wanted to put into play. He would buy gallons of it and repeat the same action the exact same way, just to hear her speak of putting it in his hair or on his shirt as penance for freezing her nose and getting her all sticky. He let her rant about how she was never going to trust whenever he offered her a bite of anything ever again and tried not laugh over her beautiful voice.

She didn't think such simple things as a movie and a snack would ever be such joyous occasions. She didn't want the moments to end, but the day was cruel and snatched the sun from them within a few short hours. She openly pouted at being walked to the side door next to the closed bakery, knowing her parents were waiting for her to spill whatever she wanted to.

He wanted to say much more than he had during that walk back, feeling such a heavy heart after soaring so high above himself all afternoon. That moment would never be repeated, but he was already planning on different things to create, to look back on and enter whenever he had moments to daydream. He felt he must match her face, though he tried to keep it hidden more than she did.

She looked to the ground with pouty lips, wanting to stamp her foot at the passage of time that was going to steal her from the most momentous occasion she had never known would feel so good. She had spent so much time with him like this, but never able to enjoy the mix with her emotions as she had done today. She refused to let go of his hand, shoulders drooping a little.

"You should head upstairs now, My Lady. I'm sure your parents will be wondering where you're at."

She smiled at the light kiss to her hand, at his gallant swoop to claim a few more seconds with her. She looked to his eyes, hers tearing at the torrent of things he made her feel in the span of a few seconds.

"I don't want to." She mumbled, face heating in the approaching dark.

"While I'm more than happy to hear that, you should go now. I'll definitely see you in school tomorrow."

His free hand went on her shoulder, giving a light pat. Everything she felt escaped her eyes and went to him, as his did to her. Her muscles clenched to decimate the distance, but the real world would never let them escape. She finally gave a nod, bidding him goodnight and slowly closed the door after her.


	4. Good night

The evening wasn't even over yet and how she missed him! After gushing and squealing in front of her parents as much as she could get out, she ate the dinner her gracious mother kept warm for her and then retired to her room. She tried to check her homework, tried to learn something from the day before her world had been permanently rocked from its resting spot, but failed. Nothing was going to alter her focus from him in these few hours. She wondered how she was going to learn anything for the rest of the week, let alone the rest of the month. Her head was already so full of him that it was about ready to burst.

Her heart was already first in line though.

She took emotional solace on the balcony, looking to the stars as she leaned over the iron railing. She gave happy sigh upon happy sigh, propping her head up as the noises from the city floated up to her.

Her eyes eventually closed as the same noises of these moments matched the ones from hours ago. She easily pulled his gorgeous eyes from memory, the way they looked at her. She suddenly stood and leaned her back against the railing, allowing her arms to go around herself and pictured him in her hold. She tried to recreate the warmth he gave, that they shared together. All the worries and non-issues that they went through in the span of moments and passed together, eyes never leaving the other.

This was no good; she was in trouble here. Her eyes teared at the sheer need which encompassed her so fully that she almost wanted to run out of her room, out that side door, and ring the doorbell outside his gate until she could see him. She would demand to see him and climb the gates if she had to!

Her eyes peeked open when a thought presented itself.

Maybe she didn't need to ring the doorbell...

Teeth bit her lip as she silently looked to Tikki, then the hatch. Her parents would never bother her unnecessarily and if she told them she was going to bed, they would leave her alone for the rest of the night. They were amazing people and trusted her as much as she loved them.

She hesitated for all of a moment, until the urge took such hold that she hurried down the stairs and pulled the hatch to the lower level open. She announced that she was going to bed so she could dream of Adrien and bid her parents goodnight. She hoped she would have dreams with him in them, but that was for later.

For now...

She waited for the bright flash to leave before turning off the lights, so the sudden burst blended in with the lights.

In moments, she was back on the balcony, yo-yo in her hand. She hopped to the tower above the hatch and eyes in the direction of his mansion. She looked to her hand, weapon ready to sling at a nearby rooftop and take her over. She didn't want to abuse her power for personal reasons and had never really used it much just to take her somewhere quickly. She only did a few times because of dire urgency...and this was one of those times. If she didn't see him again before going to sleep, she might just die a slow, painful, emotional death before getting to see him tomorrow.

Tomorrow...that would be hard. She already wanted to tell Alya that they were going to switch seats, but that might not be best for her attention span. She would have to pay attention to class when she wanted to cuddle up at his side and hold his hand. Yes, it had to be tonight because tomorrow would be torture.

Resolve suddenly enveloped her and her eyes hardened, hand flinging out the spotted circle to a random pipe. It caught and a mere, slight jerk sent her reeling forward through the air. She felt the wind blow her bangs back, legs pulling up to her chest as eyes already searched for another pipe to attach to. Her yo-yo unraveled itself per mental command, already flying out ahead of her as she hovered for a split second.

She stopped on the rooftop next to his place within a few swings, on the side where the wall of windows was. His lights were on enough that she could see him walking around his room. She was happy he wasn't asleep yet, but she was suddenly unsure at approaching him if he was getting ready for bed. She didn't know when he slept and didn't want to bother him. She followed the orders of her heart and her own greed before contacting him to see if it was even okay to see him right now.

But...if he knew what she wanted to do, he would follow without a second's pause and ignore the ability to get sleep for tomorrow. She knew this. He would push exhaustion from his mind if she said the words on her tongue.

She watched him in silence, standing as still as the building she was on. She could pick out his kwami floating around his head as Tikki usually did to her. She wondered what he talked about with his kwami, wondered what his kwami was like. She wanted to meet the god she had never seen, now knowing it was okay to do so. She suddenly wanted him to meet Tikki and let Tikki's good nature be spread to as many people as possible.

Her hand clutched at the yo-yo until she took a deep breath and resolved to try, to see what he had to say. He had always been honest with her and she could always leave if the moment was at a bad time. If he needed sleep, she would accept the answer and head home and resolve to see him in the morning.

She had a feeling he would laugh and take her into his arms if she mentioned that. The thought made her smile and take a step the the edge.

She swung the yo-yo for the top part of the steep roof, quietly landing and walking down the side until the angle was too steep to get her footing. She hopped down against the windows a few times, knowing the thumping would attract his attention. She went for one of the windows that opened and pushed it open, standing on the narrow edge with ease. She looked inside, catching his attention, and rolled her yo-yo back up.

His mind shut down at finding her at the edge of his room, though his heart picked up the slack and raced beyond his comprehension. He tried to push words out, but nothing would leave. He neared her slowly, his feet bringing him to her on their own until he was looking up to the blue of her eyes. She was also silent for the longest time, only jerking a thumb behind her. She turned and looked over a shoulder with raised brows.

A grin split his face and he transformed without ever introducing her to Plagg.

She looked away at the bright flash, smiling as her yo-yo connected with another rooftop a ways away and took off. She didn't wait to see if he would follow, knowing he was. She knew by the boil of her blood, the adrenaline in her veins, the fluttering of her heart that he had taken off as quickly as he could to keep up. She knew and continued on, seeing his staff extend him into the sky out of the corner of her eye. It was hard to keep a good grip on the line with how badly her hands shook.

She landed on a random roof that gave them a good view of the night sky and the moon which helped see him. It illuminated his eyes and caused them to glow, so much like a cat that he now was. It made her hands twitch just a little more as he neared her, one hand putting his staff at the small of his back.

"Is there something the matter, My Lady?" He asked, a brow going up. "I didn't see anything on the news..."

He took in the unsure posture, the way her fingers twiddled together, the way her eyes darted around everywhere but on him. He stopped in front of her, brows going up in curiosity, face leaning down to force her view to fix on him. The moon helped a little to illuminate the color in her cheeks and the shyness in her eyes before she looked to the roof tiles again.

His lips twitched, the end of his tail flickering idly behind him. His arms crossed against his back, holding him as his spine arched a tad, allowing his face to near hers just a bit. He gave the slightest of insistent hums, a playful grin coming from him as he enjoyed her nervousness far too much.

She quickly whipped away from the gaze he gave her, knowing he was toying with her. She huffed a pent-up breath and clenched her nails to her suit, eyes squeezing shut.

This was no good. Perhaps it had been a bad idea. He had followed her, but she didn't say whether there as danger. The tv was on in the background of his room though, helping her to see him better. He would have known that there were no news reports of Butterfly's victims on a rampage. He had merely gone after her because she was there.

The notion caused her to smile, loosened the grip on her fists a little.

She looked over a shoulder, blue eyes shyly finding him moving to that side. Her fingers twirled against themselves again. Her mouth gaped open a few times, feeling like that first day he had given her his umbrella and reduced her to a stuttering mess.

"I...just...kind of...w – wanted to...you know...s – see you...a little more..." Her gaze whipped away, face heating up, shoulders hunching to her ears at her own honesty. "A – a – after all...I never did...get to...um...give you th – that...good night...k – kiss..."

His ears rang with that one word, feeling time stop again. He stood there, feeling all the power and bad luck that his kwami possessed covering his skin. He never thought his luck would change as much as it had in this one second and he wanted to go flying over the rooftops with her yo-yo as she did, jump and holler, twirl her in his arms...anything. His body demanded he move, but he couldn't. Her words had tied his feet to the ground, kept his arms from doing anything. The only movement he could make were the widening of his eyes.

Her own insecurities and disbelief at what she said overtook her when he was silent, when he never moved. "S – sorry!" She rushed, taking a step away. "It was a dumb idea! I'm sorry to have bothered you! I'll...I'll see you in school tomorrow!"

She got far enough to swing her yo-yo at some location and was about ready to tug on the string when his arm lashed out and a hand grabbed her free arm. Surprised blue eyes looked his way, mouth slightly parted in shock as she was somewhat jerked back to face him.

"No." He murmured, barely hearing his own words. He took a step closer, fingers tightening to keep her from leaving him in this perfect moment. The blood roared in his ears. His vision narrowed to just her. "Please don't go..." Step. "I'd...very much...like that good night kiss..."

The hand connected to her yo-yo was numb for heartbeats before her finger somehow flicked in its shaking and it untwisted itself to came back to her. She let it roll up on its own, barely holding in her hand as her eyes stayed fixed on his. Serious, glowing eyes that threatened to devour her with his emotions. She harshly swallowed, feet twisting her position toward him at a snail's pace. Her arm tuned in to the feel of his claws against her suit, not feeling the heat of his skin between the gods they wore.

Blue eyes took in every angle of his face at his nearness, covered and open. Every line of his mask, every strand of hair in his eyes, the curve of his jaw near the neckline of his suit. She forgot to breathe as she looked at him and the shadows that moved on his face as she adjusted her position and closed the gap.

He held his breath as she looked up to his taller stature, jaw hanging open at the angle enough that made for a perfect kiss. She was the perfect height for him to lean down and do something, but he waited for her to initiate it, not wanting to spoil the anticipation with his own greediness. Such a feeling in itself was delectable and he ate up those seconds as he wondered when she would make her move.

His ears made the last few hours seem like they were two entirely different people, even though they were the same. She stared at him for what felt like forever, taking in the glow of his hair and admiring how handsome it made him.

"I'd...like to...kiss you...like this..." She heard herself whisper, eyes captured within his. The cat-like twist to his pupils made him seem other-worldly and yet he was the same person she had known and joked with, fought with, for months. She was taken in how the night exuded from his outfit, how he blended in and the lights from below tried to stay on the material. When he didn't move darkness leaked from him.

"Yes..." He quietly returned, head barely nodding. His grip on her arm had loosened to almost nonexistence, barely even feeling her. All he was aware of were those eyes as they neared his with the speed of the moon going across the sky. His heart couldn't beat any faster than it could in this second and yet the feeling she invoked by merely going as slowly as she was made him want to bottle it and take it into himself anytime he wished to experience this expectation. It was only amazing because he knew it was short-lived. That's what made it so great.

Whenever she managed to return her yo-yo to its resting place, she would never be able to recall. She barely recalled blinking, only being forced to do so when her eyes hurt and demanded a break. A hand floated up, lightly touching his cheek. Her fingertips traced the edge of his mask, finding the material stuck to his skin as hers was to her. She watched in slight fascination, still inching closer.

He could feel the breath on his face as she paid more attention to movements which made his skin tingle. He watched her only slightly averted gaze, torn between wanting to let her continue for as long as she wished and finally kissing her with every pent up emotion which taunted him since day one. To unleash it on her and let her know how she had taunted and tortured him so. To be reborn with her lips as a youth so much in love.

Her eyes brushed the hair out of his eyes, wishing she could feel how soft it was. She made a mental note to do so later on when their skin was bare. She didn't think he'd mind.

Her fingers traced down the other side of his face, watching his eyes droop at the feel, but fight to stay open. To stay on her and keep watching her.

Her eyes widened a little in reaction to feel the sudden prick of claws on the small of her back. His touch was light, but not because he was scared of hurting her. They both knew he would never be able to do such a thing. He was interrupting her pace with his own, unsure as to what she would allow and impatient at her speed.

Her lips twitched in a shy smile, granting all of the access that he needed to know. The pressure of his fingers increased, the curve of her spine acquainting itself with the back of his hand. His palm tuned in to feel as much as he could and he wished he could take that part of his suit off for just a second. Just a heartbeat to memorize that curve in this precious moment. He tugged her past the last vestiges of air between them, not doing anything further. Letting her take the rest of the jump at her leisure.

He was darkness and bad luck and attitude and wildness. The hair framed his face in such a different manner from his everyday style that had her captivated. He looked so bad, but it was all an act and she knew this. He was kind beyond measure and sweeter than any dessert in her family's bakery. He could switch between everything in a second, at her whim or his.

Her fingers scooped up his chin and held it in silence, head tilting all its own as their breath mingled. Her heart pounded, trying to escape her ribs. She wondered if he could feel the trembling of her fingers.

He waited until her eyes closed to close his. The lightest touches of her lips on his froze the breath in his lungs. He enforced patience as he let her do what she wished, every nerve at the edges of his mouth feeling how warm and soft she was.

The arm around her side flexed involuntarily and the intake of air that she gasped sounded like a jackhammer in the silence. She quickly pulled away, face aflame and feeling nervous that she had done too much too soon. She harshly swallowed as she tried to catch her breath, eyes unable to meet his. Her lips pressed together, hand frozen at his side.

He took the hand off his face and slowly brought it to his lips in a kiss to give her reassurance. Serious, dark eyes pinned her to the spot once she managed to meet his gaze. The hair covered most of his vision, making him look even more dangerous. "Thank you...for the kiss..." He breathed, voice low. He straightened and let go of her hand in order to return the hold she had put upon him seconds ago. He was much quicker than she was. "I'd also like to give you one...if that's okay..."

She practically trembled in his hold, the slight prick of his claws lighting her scalp on fire and getting every nerve to tune in to him. His hands were so much larger than hers and his palm covered her cheek. She was stone in his hold, his face extremely close as he waited for her okay.

Her lips flopped around a few times, words escaping her at the look in his eyes. Her jaw trembled in her attempt to speak. She wished she could take a picture of those eyes and carry it around with her whenever she missed him so that she could think back on this moment and be so thoroughly tossed around all over again.

"P...please..."

No other words escaped as his lips pressed against hers with much more surety than hers did to him. His mouth covered hers, gentle and yet slightly insistent. The grip at her back increased, pulling her to him...pulling her into him. She fell into the black hole he created, his emotions engulfing her as much as his palm had taken her cheek.

Hands clutched at anything she could grab, trying to find stability as he stole every rational thought and the ability to breathe. She fell into the depths of her own emotions, pressing against him as her heart collided with every rib as it bounced around at breakneck speed. She ended up throwing her hands under his arms, grabbing his shoulders and holding on for dear life.

The strength at which she clutched at him only took him aback for the time she needed to do so. His grip on her responded in kind and he held her to him with all of the power of his emotions that had always gripped him. The hand against her cheek slid through her hair, getting a sudden exhale from her before it rested on the back of her head.

How had this day, this night, this bliss, ever show up? This was more than any dream he could ever envision and while he had always hoped that her lips would be against his, he claimed himself a fool for ever thinking it would occur. So many times he had attempted such things and she always pushed him away. He often wondered if she would ever feel as strongly for him as he would for her.

Now he wondered whose love topped the other.

She felt the rapid beating of his heart against his chest through the speed of hers. His arms were power and it fogged her head, letting her know yet another side of him. He was always so strong, even more than the power of the suit. Every move he made during battle flexed the muscles that he routinely worked out in fencing, in karate. She never bothered to notice them until the one snaked up her back.

He didn't want to let her go. He had her just where he always wanted to keep her. He wanted to kiss her and feel her lips against his forever. He entertained the idea of never going home and living on a rooftop of some stranger's home, just so he could stay with her like this. Nothing outside of this touch, this evening, mattered anymore. It all faded away as he straightened out every feeling that he had fought with for so long. He gathered them and lined them up to point them at her.

There was no breaking such a spell that was around the two of them. She didn't know how they even pulled away, when they pulled away. She couldn't think, didn't want to open her eyes, had no idea where the air was to bring it into her lungs. She couldn't find anything outside the fog in her head, didn't want to escape what had encompassed her.

His arms remained around her, his cheek next to hers. Her hair tickled his nose as he tried to catch his breath and every inhale took a little bit of her smell with the air of Paris. This was a second-best prize that he would also take and be happy with. The feel of her stumbling against him, the loss of footing she couldn't find, made his heart jump around in its own joy. He had reduced her to this pile of quivering mess, just as she always had done to him. It felt good to know she was always there with him.

She stayed in his arms until the moment passed and her head returned to her. She pulled away enough to look into his eyes again, a smile slowly finding her. He matched her for only a moment before he descended with another small, brief kiss. A silly grin lit his face, his chest trembling as laughter bubbled up in him.

She started giggling, teeth showing as she tried to remain standing through happy laughter that she had never the pleasure of shedding left her.

It felt good to laugh about the same thing. His forehead rested against hers, cat ears forward to catch every pretty sound she made. Her hold was strong, but not as tight as when she kissed him. He let himself laugh out his glee until it fully escaped and wound down to the tender stare she mimicked in her own eyes.

She didn't want to pull away, but she had no idea how long they had been on that rooftop. She didn't want to go home. She had snuck away from home in order to see him. She pouted, throwing her arms around his shoulders and suddenly hugged him to her. "You're such a cute kitty. What am I going to do? I can't bring myself to leave you right now..."

He squeezed her in an utter state of joy at those words. More laughter left him, his tail thrashing around behind by itself. A smile threatened to stay on his mouth so wide that it would never go back to its normal shape. He held her as tightly as his power would grant him. She never said a word, never moved away from such a powerful grip.

He didn't want to muddy the air with words. She had set the stage so well and he couldn't enter now, but he couldn't stay silent either. "I'm also at a loss then." He pulled away enough to see her face, green eyes mischievous. "I'm going to want good night kisses from you every night. I think Plagg will get really angry at me if I keep meeting you like this...so late at night."

She giggled as he kissed her nose. "I won't mind giving them to you..."

"Then it's a promise." He kissed her again, but only briefly. "There. Now there's no way you can go back on your word."

She smirked, eyes playfully narrowed. Her fingers toyed with a few strands of wild hair. "Sneaky kitty..." Her lids lowered, face going closer. "Maybe that's one reason why I love you so much..."

He crushed her to him at those words, tears springing to his eyes. How perfection had placed her in front of him and reduced him to a hapless pile of need! He could die happy at the base of her feet, so long as she spoke of such words to send him off. But...dying was too boring because heaven was pointless without her at his side.

He tried to catch his breath, as did she. She pulled away enough to find the tears in his eyes and removed her hands from his shoulders to wipe them from his skin. She let her palms rest against his cheeks, smile soft. She met his eyes for the longest time, blue darting to every perfect feature he possessed. "I love you...Adrien."

His heart jumped in his throat. Tears pooled at the corners again, but she stole them a second time, though they refused to stop. They dripped down over her suit and part of her arm. He ignored them, unable to kick against the ocean he was drowning in. He was drowning in her eyes, having dove inside them long ago.

He exhaled a pent-up breath, unable to breathe properly. "I...love you too...Marinette." He breathed. A hand came up and copied her, finding her eyes shining as well. "More than those words. Longer than you know."

Her jaw clenched as she suffocated in her feelings. She didn't want to leave here. She needed to make sure to memorize this random place she had led them to in order to come back and stare at the spot they were taking up so she could come back in time to this whenever she wanted.

She took his hands in hers and held them. Her thumbs ran over the suit on the back of his palms, giving him the sweetest look she never knew to have. She looked and looked until her eyes pleaded for relief, but she ignored them, not wanting to miss a second of the bliss they were sending each other.

Only when his ears picked up the chime of a clock from someone's open window did he realize the time. His shoulders slumped a little, knowing he had to part from her for the rest of the evening. "It's late." He mumbled, looking to the roof under them. His ears drooped. "It's time for you to sleep. I don't want you late for school or sleepy during the day."

She smiled. "I'd gladly miss school for this moment...except...then I wouldn't get to see you the next day." She gave him a quick, noisy kiss on the lips before pulling away. She still held his hands, unable to break contact. "I don't know if I prefer to see you home or for you to see me home..."

He grinned. One arm swept into a grand bow, one still holding her fingers. "I'll follow My Lady to wherever she wishes to go." He looked to her with a smile. "But, a gentleman should always walk a lady home..."

She giggled, her free hand flying up against her mouth. It cupped her chin as he kissed her hand again and felt him entwine their fingers. She watched him look around and she did so as well, finding the roof long. They could walk across it if they wished until they had to part and swing away.

The Eiffel Tower wasn't far. It separated both of their homes; a beacon to let the other know they were only on the other side. She had never been more relieved to know he was merely around the immense structure, what was a landmark for the entire country. She had often used it as a way to find out how to get home; now she would use it to get to him.

"I think I'd like a small stroll." She took off toward the iron building, fingers tight against his, shoulder nearly bumping against him. She looked at him and smiled, finding him copying her.

He didn't bother to say another word until she had transformed back on her balcony. "I think the evening would have been wasted without this surprise visit. Thank you for coming to me tonight."

His lips were warm now that she could feel them against her hand. She stared at him when he looked up, feeling sad that she had to walk away and go inside. She felt it leak from inside to the pout on her lips. His eyes softened in response, knowing what she was going through because he felt the same.

"I guess...this is good night..."

He hugged her to him when she shuffled away even the slightest distance. She held him as tightly as he did her and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

He took a deep breath, wondering how the day was ever going to come when he didn't want the night to be over with. The rollercoaster that had been the last few hours changed itself into something more beautiful than any butterfly could ever be. It seemed like the lifespan was just as short, too. This moment would never come again, but he would try to recreate more as often as she would let him. She would probably do the same and he would allow it as long as she had the will to stand.

He pulled away, lips resting on her forehead with a sigh. "I'll be in school tomorrow."

"Yes."

He gave a small, noisy kiss. She didn't react and he did it again. "I'll sit right in front of you. Let's work together on class projects as often as we can."

"Yes..."

He pulled away and stared at her. The longing in her eyes, the love, the sadness. It made his eyes water, his heart weep tears of joy to see her pinning those eyes at him and not look away. As if she were memorizing this moment for the same reasons he was.

He gave one final kiss to her lips before pulling away and going for his staff. He stared at her with a sideways grin. "Just don't be late, My Lady."

She glared, foot stomping. "I won't!" She retorted, arms crossing over her chest as he laughed at her.

She watched him fly away, waving until he was out of sight. She heaved a sigh, wiping her eyes at the hole he put in place of himself. She wanted to transform again and follow right after him, to tackle him to the rooftop and hug him all over again. Her arms crossed tightly to keep herself from moving, as if to prevent her from speaking.

She looked to Tikki when the god finally moved for her, a smile on her tiny face. "What a day you've had..."

She smiled and nodded, some of the hole filling itself up. "Tomorrow is almost here, isn't it?" She asked, knowing the answer.

Tikki smiled back and floated to the hatch. "You'd better try to get some sleep so you're not late. I'm sure Adrien would be sad if you were."

Such a comment was the only thing that could get her to move. She looked to the direction of his house, wondering if he was getting ready for bed, too. "Yea...I don't want to be late for school and make him sad."

She squelched a giggle at thinking of him hurrying to her home because she wasn't at school on time, a pout on his face because they didn't get to walk up the steps together. The morning would be here fast enough as it was and she wanted to be ready for it.


End file.
